Method for Collision Avoidance in Transfer of Network Packets

1. A system for transmitting data in a data communication network, comprising: eliminating one or more cable connections and replacing the one or more cable connections by over-the-air links between a matched first and second radio pair, each radio in the radio pair having an antennae connected thereto, one of said first and second radios in said matched pair and the antennae connected thereto configured to function as a receiver and the other of said first and second radios in said matched pair configured to function as a transmitter or each of said first and second radios in said matched pair configured to alternate as the transmitter and the receiver, the radios operating at frequencies between 300-3,000 MHz, the system configured to select and run, after installation, the appropriate software included therein to support the data being transmitted and further comprising: a. first and second data interfaces, and b. first and second data controllers delivering packets of the data to CPUs connected thereto said CPUs controlling the over-the-air radio link and the functioning of the antennae in communication with each radio, said CPUs assembling packets of the data for transmission across the over-the-air link (OTA packets), and acknowledging receipt of received assembled OTA packets, wherein the CPUs include protocols for collision avoidance of OTA packets transmitted in an overlapping manner by the first and second radios, and wherein the protocols for collision avoidance of transmitted OTA packets comprise establishing a set of multiple transmission start times for each of the first and second radios, said multiple transmission start times being spaced apart according to a preset schedule, such that a. when one of said first or second radios has OTA packets of the data for delivery and a transmission start time for said one radio is reached, said system exits an idle mode and the one of said radios commences transmission of a first OTA packet, b. the other radio upon receipt of said first OTA packet acknowledges receipt thereof, said acknowledgment placing the one radio in a sending mode and the other radio in a receiving mode, c. the one radio in the sending mode continues serially transmitting OTA packets and the radio in the receiving mode acknowledges receipt of each OTA packet until a final OTA packet is transmitted or the full number of OTA packets set forth in the first OTA packet is reached indicating the end of the one radio transmission, d. following the receipt of the final transmitted OTA packet, the other radio, if it has OTA packets of the data for delivery and a transmission start time for said other radio is reached, the other radio commences transmission of its first OTA packet and upon acknowledgement of receipt thereof the other radio continues transmission of data until all of the OTA packets are delivered, the system then reverting to an idle mode, and wherein, if the first OTA packet is not received or not acknowledged and if the other radio has OTA packets of the data for delivery and a transmission start time for the other radio is reached, a. said other radio commences transmission of its first OTA packet, b. if receipt of said first OTA packet is acknowledged said acknowledgment places said other radio in a sending mode and the first radio in a receiving mode until all of the other radio OTA packets are delivered, and c. the first OTA packet from the first radio not acknowledged and any OTA packets thereof for serial transmission thereafter are queued until transmitted at the next available first radio start time.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the radios operate in 902-928 MHz ISM band.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein the OTA packets transmitted by the over-the-air link are receivable at distances greater than for 2.4 GHz transmission.

4. The system of claim 3 wherein the OTA packets transmitted by the over-the-air link are receivable at distances in excess of 2 miles.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the data is divided into one or more OTA packets, said one or more OTA packets each comprising a data portion and optionally including a header portion.

6. A system for transmitting data in a data communication network, comprising: eliminating one or more cable connections and replacing the one or more cable connections by over-the-air links between a matched first and second radio pair, each radio in the radio pair having an antennae connected thereto, one of said first and second radios in said matched pair and the antennae connected thereto configured to function as a receiver and the other of said first and second radios in said matched pair configured to function as a transmitter or each of said first and second radios in said matched pair configured to alternate as the transmitter and the receiver, the radios operating at frequencies between 300-3,000 MHz, the system configured to select and run, after installation, the appropriate software included therein to support the data being transmitted and further comprising: a. first and second data interfaces, and b. first and second data controllers delivering packets of the data to CPUs connected thereto said CPUs controlling the over-the-air radio link and the functioning of the antennae in communication with each radio, said CPUs assembling packets of the data for transmission across the over-the-air link (OTA packets), and acknowledging receipt of received assembled OTA packets, wherein the CPUs include protocols for collision avoidance of OTA packets transmitted in an overlapping manner by the first and second radios, and wherein the protocols for collision avoidance of transmitted OTA packets comprise establishing a set of multiple transmission start times for each of the first and second radios, said multiple transmission start times being spaced apart according to a preset schedule, such that a. when one of said first or second radios has OTA packets of data for delivery and a transmission start time for said one radio is reached, said system exits an idle mode and the one of said radios commences transmission of a first OTA packet, b. the other radio upon receipt of said first OTA packet acknowledges receipt thereof, said acknowledgment placing the one radio in a sending mode and the other radio in a receiving mode, c. the one radio in the sending mode continues serially transmitting OTA packets and the receiving radio acknowledges receipt of each OTA packet until a final OTA packet is transmitted or the full number of OTA packets set forth in the first OTA packet is reached indicating the end of the one radio transmission, d. following the receipt of the final transmitted OTA packet, the other radio, if it has OTA packets of the data for delivery and a transmission start time for said other radio is reached, the other radio commences transmission of its first OTA packet and upon acknowledgement of receipt thereof the other radio continues transmission of data until all of the OTA packets are delivered, the system then reverting to an idle mode, and wherein if the first OTA packet is received and acknowledged, the system being in a first radio sending mode, the first radio continues serially transmission of OTA packets and if an OTA packet is not acknowledged, that OTA packet not acknowledged is resent until acknowledged or until the system reaches a time out signal at which point the system goes into an idle mode.

7. A system for transmitting data in a data communication network, comprising: eliminating one or more cable connections and replacing the one or more cable connections by over-the-air links between a matched first and second radio pair, each radio in the radio pair having an antennae connected thereto, one of said first and second radios in said matched pair and the antennae connected thereto configured to function as a receiver and the other of said first and second radios in said matched pair configured to function as a transmitter or each of said first and second radios in said matched pair configured to alternate as the transmitter and the receiver, the radios operating at frequencies between 300-3,000 MHz, the system further comprising: a. first and second data interfaces, and b. first and second data controllers delivering packets of the data to CPUs connected thereto said CPUs controlling the over-the-air radio link and the functioning of the antennae in communication with each radio, said CPUs assembling packets of the data for transmission across the over-the-air link (OTA packets), and acknowledging receipt of received assembled OTA packets, wherein the CPUs include protocols for collision avoidance of OTA packets transmitted in an overlapping manner by the first and second radios, said protocols for collision avoidance of transmitted OTA packets comprise establishing a set of multiple transmission start times for each of the first and second radios, said multiple transmission start times being spaced apart according to a preset schedule, such that a. when one of said first or second radios has OTA packets of data for delivery and a transmission start time for said one radio is reached, said system exits an idle mode and the one of said radios commences transmission of a first OTA packet, b. the other radio upon receipt of said first OTA packet acknowledges receipt thereof, said acknowledgment placing the one radio in a sending mode and the other radio in a receiving mode, c. the one radio in a sending mode continues serially transmitting OTA packets and the radio in the receiving mode acknowledges receipt of each OTA packet until a final OTA packet is transmitted or the full number of OTA packets set forth in the first OTA packet is reached indicating the end of the one radio transmission, d. following the receipt of the final transmitted OTA packet, the other radio, if it has OTA packets of the data for delivery and a transmission start time for said other radio is reached, the other radio commences transmission of its first OTA packet and upon acknowledgement of receipt thereof the other radio continues transmission of data until all of the OTA packets are delivered, the system then reverting to an idle mode, and wherein if the first OTA packet is not received or not acknowledged and if the other radio has OTA packets of the data for delivery and a transmission start time for the other radio is reached, a. said other radio commences transmission of its first OTA packet, b. if receipt of said first OTA packet is acknowledged said acknowledgment places said other radio in a sending mode and the first radio in a receiving mode until all of the other radio OTA packets are delivered, and c. the first OTA packet from the first radio not acknowledged and any OTA packets thereof for serial transmission thereafter are queued until transmitted at the next available first radio start time.

8. A system for transmitting data in a data communication network, comprising: eliminating one or more cable connections and replacing the one or more cable connections by over-the-air links between a matched first and second radio pair, each radio in the radio pair having an antennae connected thereto, one of said first and second radios in said matched pair and the antennae connected thereto configured to function as a receiver and the other of said first and second radios in said matched pair configured to function as a transmitter or each of said first and second radios in said matched pair configured to alternate as the transmitter and the receiver, the radios operating at frequencies between 300-3,000 MHz, the system further comprising: a. first and second data interfaces, and b. first and second data controllers delivering packets of the Ethernet data to CPUs connected thereto said CPUs controlling the over-the-air radio link and the functioning of the antennae in communication with each radio, said CPUs assembling packets of the data for transmission across the over-the-air link (OTA packets), and acknowledging receipt of received assembled OTA packets, and wherein the CPUs include protocols for collision avoidance of OTA packets transmitted in an overlapping manner by the first and second radios, said protocols for collision avoidance of transmitted OTA packets comprise establishing a set of multiple transmission start times for each of the first and second radios, said multiple transmission start times being spaced apart according to a preset schedule, such that a. when one of said first or second radios has OTA packets of data for delivery and a transmission start time for said one radio is reached, said system exits an idle mode and the one of said radios commences transmission of a first OTA packet, b. the other radio upon receipt of said first OTA packet acknowledges receipt thereof, said acknowledgment placing the one radio in a master mode and the other radio in a slave mode, c. the one radio in a sending mode continues serially transmitting OTA packets and the receiving radio acknowledges receipt of each OTA packet until a final OTA packet is transmitted or the full number of OTA packets set forth in the first OTA packet is reached indicating the end of the one radio transmission, d. following the receipt of the final transmitted OTA packet, the other radio, if it has OTA packets of the data for delivery and a transmission start time for said other radio is reached, the other radio commences transmission of its first OTA packet and upon acknowledgement of receipt thereof the other radio continues transmission of data until all of the OTA packets are delivered, the system then reverting to an idle mode, and wherein if the first OTA packet is received and acknowledged, the system being in a first radio sending mode, the first radio continues serially transmission of OTA packets and if an OTA packet is not acknowledged, that OTA packet not acknowledged is resent until acknowledged or until the system reaches a time out signal at which point the system goes into an idle mode.

9. The system of claim 6 wherein the radios operate in 902-928 MHz ISM band.

10. The system of claim 6 wherein the OTA packets transmitted by the over-the-air link are receivable at distances greater than for 2.4 GHz transmission.

11. The system of claim 6 wherein the OTA packets transmitted by the over-the-air link are receivable at distances in excess of 2 miles.

12. The system of claim 6 wherein the data is divided into one or more OTA packets, said one or more OTA packets each comprising a data portion and optionally including a header portion.